Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
